August 2011 Family Vacation

Guest: Robin (Tenness)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 09/09/11

My family, ranging in age from 15-80+ spent the first week of August at the house on Harbor. The layout is perfect for a large family. There are 3 bedrooms downstairs and 1 bedroom plus a sitting area upstairs. The sitting area has 2 futons which would easily accomodate kids or teenagers. The house is exactly as described. The location on the island is very nice as well. Our family cooks a tremendous amount while on vacation and the kitchen was very well stocked with utensils and laid out in a manner that it was easy to have multiple cooks working. Dianne was very easy to work with and very accomodating to my questions and requests. I strongly recommend this home to anyone looking for a vacation place of this size.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

What a great vacation!

Guest: Julie (Sharpsburg, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 07/10/11

My husband and I, our four children and their spouses and/or friends stayed at John and Dianne's Harbor Island home in June 2011. There were 10 of us, ranging in age from 20 to 58 and everyone was happy (at the same time!) in this house. The house itself is beautifully decorated(it looks exactly like the pictures), very clean and outfitted with everything we needed. There is a pot for the low country boil, there is a crockpot for the cheesegrits, there are lots of ordinary pots and pans and lots of bowls and platters. There is a gas grill with extra propane tanks available. There are enough dishes and glasses for an army. There are books, videos and games. We brought extra beach chairs and the bundt pan for my daughter's homemade pound cake and that was really all we needed to add. The beach and ocean outside the house was perfect for our family of mostly non-swimmers because the waves were small, but if you want more action you can drive a couple miles to the beach at Hunting Island. At low tide the kids moved to the club to swim and play tennis. We made a day trip to Charleston because my husband is a Citadel grad, but Beaufort has historic houses, shops and a farmer's market too, and is not nearly as crowded. Dianne made the entire process a breeze, from allowing us to view the house in person last summer, to returning the security deposit in less than a week. I will actually miss corresponding with her. I don't feel like we stayed in a vacation rental that hundreds of other people have stayed in, I feel like we borrowed a friend's fantastic home where we lived for a week with our family, eating excellent food, relaxing on the beach, playing games and just generally enjoying ourselves and each other. What a great vacation!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Cannot wait to return!

Guest: Jennifer (Fredericksburg, VA)
Date of Stay: 06/04/11 Review Submitted: 06/21/11

My family had the absolute pleasure of visiting Harbor Island the first week of June 2011. The ocean front home is decorated beautifully and is spacious and light-filled. Our kids (ages 10 and 12) had so much fun in the upstairs suite all by themselves! The house is also technologically advanced with flat screen TVs, XM radio, and free Wi Fi, but if you don't need the technology, you will be perfectly happy sitting on the deck listening to the waves and watching the wildlife! Wildlife abounds on Harbor Island. Our first morning there we woke up to very friendly neighbors relocating Loggerhead turtle eggs on the dune in front of our house. They were so kind and were happy to educate us on the habits of these turtles. We guarded that turtle nest all week and we regret that we will not be there when 80+ baby turtles hatch and make there way to the sound. The beach is inhabited by many creatures. Horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, ghost crabs, sand dollars to name a few. You will also enjoy watching the dolphins frolic and feed on a daily basis and the brown pelicans dive for their dinner! In the marsh lands you can throw in your crab pot and search for alligators. We had a lot off fun off of Harbor Island as well. 1 mile away is the Hunting Island State park. You can spend a day on the beach over there if you want to enjoy some bigger waves, and they also have a very nice nature center, fishing pier and hiking trails. One trail will take you out onto an eroded beach, and at low tide you can crawl all over live oaks that were knocked down from erosion. This is a great place to snap the perfect family picture! We also charted a fishing boat off of Fripp Island with Captain Eddie and caught a few sharks, and enough fish for dinner! There are several road side produce stands and a great fish market (Gay Seafood Market) to eat the local flavors and make yourself a low country dinner! I could go on and on about Harbor Island. If you are looking to get un-plugged from your busy life for a quiet non-commercial beach where nature is practically undisturbed, this is the place for you! Thank you Dianne and John for allowing us to enjoy your beach home!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

What a warm, wonderful home!

Guest: Beach lovers (Chicago, Il)
Date of Stay: 04/02/11 Review Submitted: 04/13/11

The 6 of us (4 adults and 2 children) had the pleasure of staying here for a week in early April and had a wonderful time! The owners have excellent taste and the house is decorated beautifully and is a very warm, inviting and spacious home. It only took about 3 days before our grandchildren were referring to this as "home." The owners have supplied the house with everything you could possibly think of from beach chairs to steak knives to cookie sheets to whisks, to hair dryers, etc., etc. Honestly can't see where one could ask for anything. So enjoyed the very private beach, the sunsets and the family of dolphins who live in the bay. Wish we had more time as there is so much to do in the area as visiting the charming city of Beaufort and nearby Charleston and Savannah. Hunting Island State Park is only a mile away and we barely touched that. Yes, we definitely need more time in the area and hope to rent this home again very soon!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A Perfect Family Reunion

Guest: Liz (San Francisco, CA)
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 10/23/10

Seven of us from around the globe -- San Francisco, Vancouver, London & Geneva -- enjoyed a memorable week in this outstanding place. Lovelier and more spacious than expected, the house was a perfect setting for us to chat, cook, laugh, explore and relax. We never felt on top of one another. We appreciated all comforts and amenities; the lovely colors and textures of the decor; interesting art and special touches; and above all the spectacular setting with the ever present sea. This is an ideal base from which to explore Beaufort, Savannah & Charleston. Loved the sparkling fresh seafood feasts we concocted thanks to the Gay Fish Company's boats and Diane's easy kitchen. Had perfect October weather and only wished to spend a few more days...

Recommended for:Girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

LOVED our stay at Harbor Island

Guest: Julie (Columbia, SC)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/22/10

My family had the pleasure of staying at this oceanfront house on Harbor Island this summer. The house was absolutely perfect for us. Lots of bedrooms (with queen beds!) as well as a loft that the teenage girls made into their own home away from home. The extra large dinning room table was perfect for meals as well as family game nights. The deck was perfect for watching dolphins during the day and stargazing at night. The beach access was not to be believed....a walk down the private boardwalk and it felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves!!! This house was perfect and the entire family loved every minute of our vacation. I highly recommend this rental!!!!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

A wonderful summer vacation for our family

Guest: Ryan S. (Denver)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 07/03/10

Our family spent an incredibly relaxing week at the Andrew's home in mid-June. We found the home to be even better than the photos. It truly sits right on the beach, our children were out running in the sand within 5 minutes of our arrival. The views from the huge glass windows from the great room were spectacular. We loved watching the dolphins. While playing in the water, we even got to swim with them! The shrimp boats were another daily visitor. In the afternoon we would drive a few minutes to The Gay Fishing Company and buy fresh shrimp and fish for dinner. It truly was a great vacation. The house felt like a home, and we certainly could have stayed longer. Our children loved it (the TVs in each room were a huge hit), we loved it (the house had everything we needed), and the grandparents did too (they loved having their own “suite” upstairs). We would recommend this house to anyone who is looking for a relaxing beach vacation in an extraordinary house.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Judy Nash (Signal Mountain, TN)
Date of Stay: 02/04/10 Review Submitted: 02/04/10

Our family stayed at this beautiful home in December '09. It was even more wonderful than we expected. I do not have words to describe how absolutely perfect it is. Great location. As soon as we arrieved home, we started planning for another trip to this perfect beach house!

Recommended for:

Guest: Anna Marie Lewis (Lexington, KY)
Date of Stay: 09/21/09 Review Submitted: 09/21/09

My family and I spent a wonderful week at this perfectly finished and supplied house. Every space was used...4 cooks could work in the kitchen and the table was perfect for our family of 7. Dad stayed on the screened in porch with his Garrison Keeler books, laughing so loud you could hear him on the beach. Mom on the deck sunning and reading by 9 am. We lined up 6 or so chairs every morning on the beach and moved forward and back with the tides. Kyle and Zach manned the surround sound, grill, and keept ice in the cooler for cold beverages. We kept a steady eye on the dolphin shows and when the code word was yelled through the house everyone ran to the deck to take turns viewing the show through binoculars. The girls took the upstairs and it was like we had our own little pj party. We ventured out for the specialty foods of the islands, fresh shrimp and gullah fixins'. I learned a coveted shrimp dip receipe from a local...she was in her 70'S and her eyes lit up when she explained the different versions of shrimp dip she had made and tasted over the years in the low country...all said, we wouldn't have changed a thing!

Recommended for:

Guest: Carrie Prevolos (Brookfield, Illinois)
Date of Stay: 08/10/09 Review Submitted: 08/10/09

My family and I enjoyed a wonderful week at this house. The house is comfy, cozy and located in the perfect area. The beach is very inviting, Hunting State park is 5 min away, Savannah 45 min. There is something for everybody in the family. The weather was perfect, the house inviting. The owners are lovely people. I would tell anyone looking for a family vacation to consider renting this house.

Recommended for: